Eldritch Horror Theatre

There was actually someone here? Sitting in a locked room, no less.

The light in the room was terribly dim. Even after taking a few seconds to adjust, Fu Qian could still only make out a vague silhouette when he looked toward the voice.

For an illegal trespasser, stumbling into a scene like this was undoubtedly a bit startling.

Coupled with her welcoming remarks, it felt exactly like being caught red-handed.

Fortunately, as mentioned before, this line of work required not just master-level skills, but a master-level mindset.

Instead of attacking or fleeing, Fu Qian simply plopped right back down in the same spot.

He didn't even rush to introduce himself, choosing instead to enjoy the delicate atmosphere.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Feeling guilty?"

So much so that the person across from him lost her patience and demanded an answer.

As for feeling guilty, that was pure nonsense.

For one thing, that phrase simply didn't exist in Professor Fu's dictionary. For another, unexpectedly stumbling into a scenario like hiding a beauty in a dark room made him feel like he had already reaped a substantial reward—so much so that he was in no hurry to ransack the place.

He hadn't forgotten that his original intention in targeting this place was to see if anything unusual would happen.

It was, in a way, a silent contest with His Excellency the Director.

And it seemed the other party had blinked first by genuinely setting up something special.

Even though they hadn't rushed him while he was with Mrs. Tracy, nor left a message after he came out...

The character appearing now even seemed to have some deep connection with Mrs. Tracy's male companion, leaving no obvious flaws to exploit.

Yes, Fu Qian had never suffered from the bad habit of being self-centered.

The way he saw it, there was a high probability that the person in the dark wasn't talking to him at all, but was waiting for the room's original occupant.

That was also why he wasn't in a hurry to speak up.

Giving the silent treatment was frowned upon; he just didn't want to startle her.

As for why such a misunderstanding would occur?

On one hand, Mrs. Tracy's companion had a similar build to his own, a point proven by how well the man's clothes fit him.

Under these circumstances, even if the open door illuminated a faint silhouette, it wouldn't be easy to tell the difference.

On the other hand, he had actually opened the door using the Key.

And he'd done so with absolute confidence, as if returning to his own home.

In this situation, if the seated person had actually been waiting for him, she wouldn't have sounded so certain.

The devil was always in the details.

"Heh... so you know you broke the promise you made to me?"

At this point, Fu Qian's silence seemed to have been interpreted as a guilty conscience.

Madam Dark Room didn't find anything wrong with this. Instead, she took it as the expected reaction and let out another cold laugh.

...

'You broke the promise you made?'

'No matter how you look at it, this sounds like another romantic entanglement. Is everyone really recovering this well?'

'The owner of this room not only goes around seeking passion with Mrs. Tracy, but also infuriates someone else to this extent?'

Even though the interrogation wasn't directed at him, as someone with a strong sense of empathy, Fu Qian felt for a moment that Mrs. Tracy's companion should be thanking him for helping him avoid such a predicament.

Moreover, that gentleman's tastes seemed quite consistent. Although he couldn't make out the woman's appearance in the dark, her voice was clearly close in age to Mrs. Tracy's.

Tap... tap tap...

Since things had reached this point, it didn't seem appropriate to let her keep putting on a one-woman show.

At that moment, Fu Qian finally responded, tapping his fingers lightly against the armrest.

Though there were only a few light taps, they sounded exceptionally crisp in the darkness.

Their melancholic rhythm perfectly encapsulated the complex emotions of the person involved.

"My tooth has started hurting again. It hurts more and more."

So much so that Madam Dark Room seemed deeply moved. After remaining silent for a long moment amid the tapping, she delivered a line that was equally capable of inspiring empathy.

"Starting from the moment Xiao Tong mentioned that she ran into you outside."

...

'Xiao Tong? Just goes to show you should never take things for granted.'

Hearing another name out of the blue, Fu Qian sincerely reflected on just how unreliable assumptions could be.

No matter how he looked at it, Mrs. Tracy wouldn't have a nickname like that, not to mention the specific emphasis on "ran into you outside."

'Hairpin Woman.'

Almost the exact moment that name entered his ears, a certain figure appeared in Fu Qian's mind.

And because of that, a completely different interpretation of the current scene gained the upper hand—

'Is Madam Dark Room really here for Tracy? Is it possible she's here to demand justice for Hairpin Woman?'

'Although I didn't do anything at the time, the latter's fragile mental state means her resistance is indeed very low.'

'And the most important point: Hairpin Woman said herself that she had missed the visit to this house for some reason.'

'Perhaps she believed it was due to personal factors, but given her mental state, could her judgment truly be trusted?'

'Is it possible that someone didn't want her to come?'

...

"Of course, I can't blame you for this. After all, it was initially with your help that the toothache was alleviated..."

One of the most beautiful things in life was when someone took the initiative to answer your questions before you even had to ask.

Seeing that Fu Qian remained silent, Madam Dark Room continued speaking of the past.

"But I believe I repeatedly warned you that Xiao Tong's situation is different from mine, and that talking to her too much might cause her symptoms to worsen?"

Her next words completely validated Fu Qian's guess.

'Sure enough, this has nothing to do with anything indecent. It sounds like Mrs. Tracy's companion is actually quite the helpful sort.'

Madam Dark Room had received his help, finding relief from some sort of abnormal toothache.

But for Xiao Tong, who was facing similar troubles, Madam Dark Room sounded like she had weighed the matter repeatedly and concluded that the girl was unsuited for similar counseling.

To the point that she had used a little trickery during a group activity, causing Xiao Tong to miss the visit to this place.

And yet, as coincidence would have it, Xiao Tong ran into him—the trespasser—while out for a solitary walk, and recognized the clothes he was wearing.

...

'Is this just how life is?'

'It sounds like Xiao Tong is practically a living demonstration of what it means to be doomed by fate.'

At that moment, Fu Qian's fingers stopped tapping as his thoughts rapidly straightened themselves out.

The situation before him now had an alternative interpretation, and it sounded increasingly reasonable:

The young Xiao Tong was well-cared for in this place, especially by Madam Dark Room.

Yet despite all precautions, she hadn't been protected. Even though she had gone off to a secluded place for a walk, she still ended up crossing paths with a dangerous figure, even walking and chatting with him along the way.

And upon hearing this, Madam Dark Room immediately assumed someone had broken their promise, and stormed over, aggressively demanding accountability.

Because she was clearly very familiar with Mrs. Tracy's companion, she could slip in without needing the door opened for her, which also explained why the door was locked earlier.

Very smooth—but wasn't it a bit too smooth?

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